Thirty Years Later.... Hugs and Tears!

Some of you have already heard this story, but I'm so excited right now I have to share!

I'm sure we all can remember our first very best friend. You know from childhood, the one you really connected with, laughed with, played dolls with, went to the mall with, saw Grease with 13 times? Well, my very first best friend is Cathleen Vegvary. Now known as Cat. We were inseparable from 4th through 7th grades. She was an Air Force Brat.. and moved away at the end of 7th grade. We kept in touch through writing for about a year and then I lost her. I literally tried to find her for the last 30 years.

I tried phone books. No luck. Then the internet made it's debut and I found a phone number online for her dad back in 1994. I called him and he told me that he and Cat's mom had divorced and he was estranged from Cat and didn't know how to get in touch with her. When Classmates.com came out, I would try finding her through that search engine and never could find a match.

Last September my younger brother and only sibling died. I was making a scrapbook for the funeral services of my brothers life and was going through boxes of pictures and photo albums from when we were kids. I came across a photo of Cat and I playing jacks on the front porch at her house. I put the photo aside because I wanted to keep it, and for the life of me I don't know what I did with it. I'm sure it will turn up, but that's another day. She's always been in the back of mind and I've wanted to re-connect with her for so long.

One afternoon, December 6th to be exact, I was surfing the net and googling something. I decided to type her name into google and see what happened. Well, it brought me to a church website that listed her name and a phone number to contact regarding a program this church offered. I thought.. Oh God, this can't be. Her name is very unusual. I prayed I had found her!
I call the number listed on the website, thinking it's a church phone number but it was her cell phone. She answers...

Cat: Hello
Monica: Is this Cathleen Vegvary?
Cat: Yes it is...
Monica: You're going to think I'm crazy.. and I might not have the right Cathleen...
Cat... I'm the only Cathleen Vegvary I know of....
Monica: Did you live in Tampa when you were a child?
Cat: Um.. Yes...
Monica: Did you live in a neighborhood called Cherry Creek?
Cat: Oh My God! Is this Monica?????????????
Monica: YES (Screaming)
Cat and Monica ( Scream and Cry!) Oh My God...Oh My God.
Monica: I can't believe I found you!! I've been trying for 30 years!!!

We talked on the phone for 4 hours that night!
Talk almost every day now...

Fast forward to today:

Cat flew in to town to help her Aunt and Uncle move this weekend. Her Aunt and Uncle live 3 miles from my house. I work until 8pm everynight and after I got off work tonight I went to see her! It was totally awesome seeing her and hugging her and crying with her!! Tears of joy!

She's going to be staying here 3 extra days to spend with me! I am so excited and can't wait to spend time with her and catch up. My parents are so excited to see her again too!

Sorry for the long ramble... but I wanted to tell the world! I'll post some pictures of this weekend. Sorry no cards to share tonight!